September 16, 2013

Garrett shares your pain about running game: '16 carries for 37 yards for just over 2 yards an attempt is not good enough'

Jason Garrett agrees with the critics about the Cowboys’
lack of running game – both in results and attempts.

“We have to run the ball more than 16 times in the game, and
we have to be able to run it throughout the game,” he said Monday at his press
conference at Valley Ranch. “We just simply have to do a better job of that. We
didn’t run the ball very well. Sixteen carries for 37 yards for just over 2
yards an attempt is not good enough.”

But Garrett was short on answers on how to fix it.

He said it just needs to get better and that the Cowboys
want more attempts.

“Yesterday’s game, we were in some no-huddle situations for
different reasons to attack the defense, to handle some of the third-down
situations, to handle of the crowd noise, and we simply threw the ball too much
in those situations,” he said.

He acknowledged quarterback Tony Romo’s play calls at the
line affected the run-pass balance.

“In some of the no-huddle situations, he was making those
calls,” Garrett said. “Again, we simply have to do a better job simply calling
more runs and having more balance.”

Garrett said running back DeMarco Murray and the other
offensive positions are responsible for making the ground game work.

“Not just the offensive line, but the tight end and the
receivers getting involved blocking the secondary assignments,” Garrett said. “Certainly
the runner has a lot to do with the success of the running game, seeing the
holes, getting comfortable in the running game, seeing what the defense is
trying to do and finding the softness in the defense.”

The Cowboys ranked 25th in rush yards before the Monday
night game between the Bengals and Steelers. Last year, the Cowboys finished
31st in the league in rushing.

Asked about adding a fullback, Garrett said, “There aren’t
that many fullbacks available that we think can upgrade our football team right
now. We don’t think it’s really the most prominent issue. We just have to
execute better.”